Not ten minutes later did her phone begin ringing, her mother's name and picture appearing on the screen. She didn't want to answer, her brain told her to leave it where it was but her heart told her to answer. Pulling over into the nearby parking lot of McDonalds, Emma groans and aggravatingly taps to answer. "What is it?" She questions apathetically, muting the radio.
"Sweetheart come back home. Please." Her mother's begging almost puts her in that mindset, the sympathetic Emma that just wants to make everyone happy, even if it makes her sad. "Home? What home?" But everyone has their breaking points and when you're tired, truly tired like the blonde teen is, it can harden even the softest of hearts. "Our home. Please..." It sounds like she had previously been crying, the shakiness in her breath the main hint to that. "You aren't even going to deny it, are you?" Emma's brows knit together, a scowl appearing.
"Deny what? I don't understand! You know that the both of us love you, despite our fighting we have always loved you." That's it. She can't take another second of this. Starting her car once more, she wedges the phone between her shoulder and ear as she flips the car into reverse, "Mom, or Alice rather, thank you. I hope that the two of you find happiness in whatever it is you decide to do. I wish you all the best. I'll send for my things when I get settled in a place. Have a nice life."
Dial tone.
Pulling off, she continues down the road she had originally been taking, her plan being to at least make it to the next city over before stopping for the night at a decent motel. From there she would be able to figure out a plan on what it was that she truly wanted to do now that she was on her own. Following the directions from the GPS system on her phone, she came across a pet-friendly motel in Scranton, Pennsylvania three hours later.
Part of her would miss Baltimore, but now was the time for her to find her own path in life and her parents weren't capable of venturing with her. It was fine, she figured, these things happen for a reason. On the way there she had managed to stop off at a dollar store to buy her and Blondie some food, water, and a dish for the canine to eat out of. Checking in at a Days Inn, she only paid $56 for the night for a pretty decent room, her penny-pinching side being extra proud of that.
"C'mon girl, come eat," Emma called as she placed the dish filled half with food and the other with room temperature water on the floor, her own snacks spread out on the bed. While the golden retriever eagerly indulged in her dinner, the blonde teen locked the door and sat Indian-style at the head of her bed, turning the television on to a random channel with cartoons on while she munched on her chips. "Ooh, Family Guy is coming on next. You wanna watch it with me, girl?" Blondie barked her positive response in the midst of eating, eliciting a hearty chuckle from her best friend.
They cuddled and watched TV together, both falling asleep an hour later to the theme song of American Dad and proceeded to sleep through the night. Emma had intended on getting back on the road around 8am but her trusty companion had other plans, licking her face until her human stirred and made a weird noise. Peeking out of one eye, she saw the alarm clock through a mess of blonde curls and read the numbers: 6:30a.m. Groaning, she almost rolled right onto the floor, reluctant to move but wanting to get away from her dog's licking.
Emma pulled the covers over her head, prompting Blondie to bark playfully, tail wagging at full speed as she pounced on the teen, who yelped from being startled and fell out of bed anyway. The canine ran to her aid though, sniffing and licking at her again, "Alright girl, I'm up, I'm up." She should've known better than to think that after not walking her dog after they got to the motel or after she ate, that Blondie wouldn't need to go to the bathroom.
Groggily standing up, she reluctantly puts on her shoes, stashes her wallet in her bra and when she reaches for the leash, the dog darts toward the door, barking to show her enthusiasm and impatience. Emma rolled her eyes grinning at that, latching the leash to the black collar. Thirty minutes and two failed attempts at chasing a squirrel later, the pair of blondes returned to their room, Blondie relieved from having done her business and now ready to get the day started. She had no idea what adventure her and her Emma were going on, but as long as she was with her, the canine was happy. After chasing her faithful companion around the park, the teen was wide awake with no hopes of even getting a nap in, so she packed up their belongings, took a quick shower and they were back on the road again, windows down and the breeze blowing through their hair.
